


Bang

by Kaunis_Sielu



Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-11
Updated: 2017-12-11
Packaged: 2019-02-13 14:14:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 10,660
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12985788
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kaunis_Sielu/pseuds/Kaunis_Sielu
Summary: You're a sniper from the military that has left active duty to work for the FBI. You get assigned to the BAU.





	1. Chapter 1

It has been 13 weeks. You can’t put off not working any longer, maybe it will do you some good to get back into the normal swing of things. You pack up your rifle and head to the FBI building. They have a really nice range underneath and you’ve already been hired by the bureau as a sniper. Since you haven’t been out shooting for a few weeks you want to get warmed up before you have to qualify. You go down to the firing range, put together your rifle and then gather some ammo. Stalking down to the other end of the range where you see the long distance targets set up. You pass a group of six agents who grow quiet as you stroll past. It’s not unusual, most people stare when they see a woman with a gun like yours. You smirk as you set up to take your first shot. You lay flat and line it up, slowing your breathing one, two, you squeeze the trigger and hit the center of the head. You move your eye away from the scope and look for the switch to adjust the distance when the target moves back. You look around in surprise and see an agent, he has dark brown hair that’s graying at the temples standing by a set of buttons. He gives you a half smile and you nod your appreciation. Turning back to the target you see he has it as far back as it can go. So he wants to see what you can do does he? You smirk again and line up the shot. Strait through the heart.   
“How do you do with a moving target?” He calls across the room.   
“Bring it!” You yell back with a smile. He does. Three targets this time, you line up one shot then. You’re about to take the shot when it moves. You track the movement for a moment then fire. You’re not spot on but if they were a person they’d be dead. You’re more accurate when you hit the other two. The group of agents are all looking at you in awe and the one who had been controlling the targets makes his way towards you.   
“Hi,” he sticks out his hand and helps you up from the floor. “I’m David Rossi. These are agents Derek Morgan, Jennifer Jareau, Kate Callahan, Aaron Hotchner and Dr. Spencer Reid.” You study the team quickly. David Rossi an older man, he has a cleanly clipped beard around his mouth with little bits of grey. Derek Morgan is the most fit of the group. A black man with a bald head and his own facial hair. He’s got a great smile, the kind that makes you want to smile back. Jennifer Jareau is a petite blue eyed blonde, she’s very pretty. Kate Callahan is Jareau’s counterpart. Equally petite and pretty but with a slightly darker skin tone and brown hair and eyes. Aaron Hotchner has a seriousness about him, he’s the tallest of the group but just barely. He has dark hair and eyes that seem to see into your soul. Lastly is Dr. Spencer Reid. He’s the youngest, tall and thin with lighter brown hair that has just a little curl to it where it hits the top of his neck.   
“Pleasure.” You say with a smile, “I’m Keiara Rayne. Most people just call me Ray.”


	2. Chapter 2

“If you don’t mind me asking where, where did you learn to shoot like that?” Dr. Reid asks hesitantly.   
“I’m a dual citizen so although I sound American I’m also British. I served for a few years in the British Special forces.”  
“How did you end up in the FBI?” Jennifer asks.  
“My mom and sister both live in the states; so when I left the military they both wanted me to come here. DC is the halfway point between them.”   
“I take it you’re one of the new snipers that’s being added to teams?” Agent Hotchner asks. His voice is deeper than you expected it to be.  
“Yes sir.”  
“Which team have you been assigned?”  
“I haven’t.” He pulls his phone out of his pocket and types quickly. “I should pack up.” You say moving back toward your weapon. Agent Morgan has followed you over to where you left it and you see him studying it.   
“May I?” He asks gesturing down at it.   
“Be my guest.” Normally you don’t let people mess around with your gun but you don’t want to seem like a jerk. He picks it up and slowly inspects it.   
“I’ve never seen a gun like this.” He notes.   
“Yea, when you’re top three in the military they tend to spend a little bit more money on you and your weapon. That’s custom made for me and it’s made out of ceramics so please be gentle.”  
“That’s why it’s so light.”   
“Exactly.” He passes the rifle back to you and you break it down into it’s smaller pieces. Putting everything back into the case you sling the strap over your shoulder and head out. You need to go to Matt Cruiz’ office to see which team you’re being assigned to. You’ve known Matt for a few years, he had worked with your brother in Afghanistan a few years back and when you left the service your brother had let Matt know. Standing outside his office you take a deep breath with your eyes closed then knock on the door.   
“Come on in.” You hear him call. You do and he looks up.   
“Ray!” He stands and smiles at you. “Good to see you. Ready to get started?”  
“As ready as I’m going to be.” You chuckle gently.   
“I just got a request for you from the BAU.” When you look at him blankly he clarifies, “the Behavioral Analysis Unit.”  
“Is that the team Agent Jareau is on?”  
“Yea, she goes by JJ.”  
“Okay. I met them down in the range.”  
“That would explain Hotch’s text.”  
“Who?”  
“Agent Hotchner. He must have seen you at work.”  
“Oh, yea he did. It was him, JJ, Dr. Reid, and Agents Rossi, Callahan and Morgan.”  
“What did you think? Will they be a good fit? We don’t want to loose you to the Brits again.”   
“You’ve been talking to Connor I see.”  
“Yea, a bit of a culture shock?”  
“It would have been either way. I was in the military for almost fifteen years. I’m ready for the change of pace.”  
“Good. The BAU is on the fifth floor. Right off of the elevators.”  
“Sounds good.” You turn to leave and he calls after you.   
“Oh and Ray?” You glance back at him, “don’t hesitate to ask if you need anything.” You give him a little smile and nod. Then head to the elevators.


	3. Chapter 3

You pull open the glass doors to the bullpen and Agent Callahan notices you first. “Looking for Hotch?” She asks with a smile.   
“Yea,” she points up the stairs and to the second office. “Thank you.” She nods and you continue to his office. His door is open and you tap on it gently.   
“Come in.” You do and he looks up. “Good. We got you.” He says with a hint of a smile.   
“Yes sir.”  
“Please call me Hotch.” Good. The sir thing would feel a little too military for your taste. You nod and he continues, “I got ahold of your file while you were in with Cruz, but why don’t you tell me a bit about yourself.”  
“I’m 36, just left the military in June. Like I said downstairs I’m a dual citizen, my dad is British and my mom is American. I was born here and moved there with my dad when I turned 11. My brother is in the military, he’s stationed in Japan, my sister is a nurse in New York and my mom lives in Pennsylvania.”  
“What did you do in the military?”  
“I can’t get into detail but I was the third best sniper in the British Armed Forces. Only woman in my company.”  
“What made you leave?”   
“It was time.” You shift uncomfortably in your seat. It was the suicide bomber, he couldn’t have been more than nine. That was the start of the end for you. You’re sure the agent notices your discomfort but he doesn’t say anything. “I was ready for something new.”  
“I can’t imagine the British forces are glad you left.”  
“They weren’t. I had to threaten to drop my citizenship before they would agree to it. I bought the gun from them, it wouldn’t have done them much good since it was built for me.”  
“Morgan said it was made from ceramics?” You nod. “ I’d love to see it if you don’t mind.”  
“Now?” You ask.   
“No, we’re going to be meeting Garcia with a new case soon.” You nod and he stands. You follow and he leads you out of his office. “This is the bullpen,” he gestures to the space out in front of you. “Your desk is the one across from Morgan’s.” You nod and he continues. “This is the round room. This is where the team meets to go over cases before we leave. Do you have a go bag?”  
“Yes sir. Um, Hotch. Sorry. Old habits.”  
“It’s fine. Everyone else except for Jennifer, who goes by JJ and agent Callahan, who goes by Kate uses just their last names. Don’t worry about throwing agent or Doctor in at all.”   
“Good to know.” You say as you enter the round room. In front of you is a woman in very high heels, wild pigtails, red lipstick, bright blue glasses and a bright green dress. “Hi. Love your glasses.” You say coolly. This must be Garcia.   
“Hi. I’m Penelope Garcia. The technical analyst for the team.”  
“Nice to meet you.” You shake her hand and then move to a back corner of the room. You like to be able to see as much of the area as possible, and having a wall at your back is comforting. Morgan and Hotch both seem to notice your behavior but thankfully neither of them say anything. You pop a foot back against the wall and fold your arms over your chest as Penelope begins to talk.


	4. Chapter 4

It turns out that your first case is a local one. You don’t say much during the briefing, you’re not a profiler after all. Actually the only time you speak is when you’re asked if you only have a sniper rifle or if you carry a hand gun too. When you affirm that you carry both the team continues to work on their profile. You find it fascinating watching them work. They bounce theories off of each other taking what the group seems to think is truth and filing away what they don’t think is pertinent.   
The first case flies by. You’re fitting in with the team well and they’re teaching you about profiling as you go. You’ve also taken to noticing the habits of the team as a whole and as individuals. Hotch and Morgan are the fierce protectors. They’re always the first ones into any buildings or dangerous situations. JJ and Kate are the social ones. They always seem to have new information from someone about something to share. Reid is the quiet dorky one. He’s a legit genius and it’s honestly amazing watching his brain work. Rossi is like the dad of the group. He’s more approachable than Hotch and seems to be the one who is most concerned with your wellbeing. Garcia is the outrageous best friend who you can’t help but laugh with, she’s quirky and spunky and you’re never sure what’s going to come out of her mouth. You’re not quite sure how you fit in here yet but you know that you’ve been welcomed into the fold.   
“Ray, find a place where you can get a shot.”  
“Copy.” You dash into a nearby building and flash your credentials. “FBI. Where’s the best view of the building to the south?” The two guards stare at you in confusion. “That way!” You point to the left in irritation.   
“Um, this way.” The younger of the two stands and runs up the stairs with you following closely on his heels. He leads you to the sixth floor before you stop him.   
“This is high enough.” He swipes a keycard and you go into the main part of the building. “Do these windows open?”   
“No.” Of course not.   
“Do you know what kind of glass they are?”  
“No sorry.” You groan and pick up one of the smaller potted plants. Swinging it into the window you’re pleased to find that the window shatters. You set up on the middle support beam and find the team on your side of the building. They’re on the third floor. Hotch leading, of course, followed closely by JJ and Reid. Using your scope you search for the UnSub ahead of them when something catches your eye.   
“Stop!” You cry into the microphone of the ear piece you’re wearing.   
“We don’t have time.” Hotch says continuing up the stairs. “He’ll kill her if he knows we’re here.”  
“Hotch!” You snap and fire a shot a foot in front of him. It shatters the window, he jerks back in surprise and looks at the wall then toward where you’re stationed. He’s clearly pissed but you don’t care.   
“What the hell Ray?” He snarls, “What are you thinking?” The rage is obvious in his voice.   
“Wire. Three steps up.”  
“We’re going to be having a discussion about this when we get back to Quantico.” He says.   
“You’re welcome.” You respond coolly. “Oh, by the way I have a shot.”  
“Does he have a weapon?” Rossi asks.   
“Yes. And apparently he’s got the building rigged to blow.”  
“There’s a wire on this stairwell too.” Morgan joins the conversation.   
“What’s the plan here Hotch?” You ask, keeping your rifle trained on the UnSub.   
“If he makes a move toward her take the shot.”  
“I don’t have her.”  
“What?”  
“I can see through to the other side of the building and he’s the only one up there.” He’s pacing, hand gun in his left hand. “Um guys. This can’t be our guy.”  
“Why do you say that?” Reid asks.   
“You profiled that the UnSub was right handed. This guy has his weapon in his left hand.” There’s movement to the right, “hold on.” Sure enough a partner comes stalking out of a room, holding Misty Ellis their victim with his left hand and a gun with his right. “There he is.”   
“He’s got a partner?” Kate asks.   
“I guess so. What’s the call?” You ask, you don’t need to clarify everyone knows you’re talking to Hotch.   
“Is it going to put Misty in danger?” Hotch says.   
“I can’t be sure. If one of them leaves I can take them out one at a time.”  
“Do it.” He confirms.   
“Copy.” Five minutes later Hotch walks in the room you’re standing in. You don’t have to turn to know its him, it’s the pattern of his footsteps that gives it away. The two UnSubs are arguing, another agent takes the security guard out of the room.   
“How long have they been arguing?”  
“Two minutes.” One of the UnSubs waves their gun then gestures toward Misty. The other nods moving toward the girl.   
“Take the shot.” You don’t respond, you line up the first shot. You slow your breathing and shoot. The first man falls and as the second is looking around for where the shot came from you take him out. Misty is sobbing and you wish you could just go to her, the bomb squad is already at work. You turn toward Hotch and see him staring you down. He looks pissed and you go to open your mouth but he holds up a hand. “We’re going to talk about that shot you took back at the BAU.” His voice is low and it gives you shivers, and not necessarily the bad kind.


	5. Chapter 5

The ride back to Quantico is silent. You and Reid are sitting in the backseat and he glances over at you with a pitying look on his face as Hotch pulls into the parking structure.   
“My office.” He growls. You nod and follow him there. The rest of the team staring after you. He shuts the door then turns on you. “You took a shot at me.” He growls and it takes everything in you not to roll your eyes.  
“No. I took a shot at the wall. If I had taken a shot at you I wouldn’t have missed.” You respond calmly, you don’t need to make him any angrier.   
“You fired a shot. That could have killed me.” He’s not yelling but his voice is getting louder.   
“You weren’t listening.” You respond at the same volume.   
“I am your unit chief.” He yells.   
“Who would be dead if I hadn’t stopped you!” You yell back.  
“You don’t take a shot at your unit chief!”  
“I didn’t! I was trying to save your life!”  
“Next time try using your words!”   
“I did! You didn’t want to listen! Is it just me you don’t trust or everyone?”  
“Trust is earned! And not by SHOOTING at someone!”   
“Maybe if you had stopped I wouldn’t have needed to fire at all!”  
“You could have killed me!” You scoff at that one.   
“You don’t become number three best sniper in the British Army by being a shit shot!” You’re both glaring at each other when the door opens. You both look at the door to see Cruz standing there looking from one of you to the other.  
“What is going on in here?” He asks sounding concerned and disappointed at the same time.   
“Agent Rayne took a shot at me today while we were going after the UnSub. I’m attempting to explain to her why that’s not okay.” Hotch says with a forced calm.   
“And I am trying to get it through to Agent Hotchner that I did not shoot at him I shot to stop him because otherwise he would have hit a tripwire and killed everyone.”  
“Was there a tripwire?” Cruz asks looking back at Hotch.   
“Yes.”  
“Did you tell him to stop with your words first?” He asks looking at you.   
“Yes.”   
“So what I’m hearing is that the two of you didn’t exactly work well with one another because of some trust issues and communication issues.” You fold your arms over your chest. You wouldn’t have had to take the shot if Hotch would have listened. “I want the two of you to shake hands and move past this. Ray. Don’t shoot at your team. Hotch if she asks you to stop do it.” He sighs like he’s been dealing with children. You shake his hand then stalk out of his office, grabbing your gun from your desk you head down to the firing range. Shooting always helped clear your mind and stress often triggered an episode, you did not need to have an episode now. Maybe you should take up yoga or meditation, you set up your gun and get into position. Focusing on your heartbeat you fire three rapid shots, head, throat and heart. Twenty minutes later you’ve pretty much shot the head off of the target when someone else enters the range. Moving away from your gun you glance over and see Hotch standing by the door. Hands in his pockets staring down at your nearly decapitated target. His eyes meet yours, you can tell he’s not surprised to find you here.   
“I thought that I’d come take a look at that gun if you don’t mind.” He says softly, he’s offering an olive branch and you’re definitely willing to take it.   
“Of course.” He comes toward you and you scoot away from the rifle. You move into a sitting position and he reaches a hand down to pull you to your feet. You pass him the rifle and he tests the weight.   
“This is really light.” He says surprised.   
“Yea, since I’m a woman they wanted to take any extra weight off of my gear that they could.”  
“Does it have any weird issues or glitches?”  
“Not that I’ve noticed. It is more expensive to repair. But it’s easier to maintain, especially in the desert.” His phone goes off then and he glances at the screen.   
“It’s Garcia.” He reads the message then looks back at you, “we’ve got another case.” He hands you back your rifle and you follow him back to the round room.


	6. Chapter 6

You’re going to Montana. Morgan groans when he hears, “Not the militias again.”   
“Sorry sugar,” Garcia says as she runs through the file. There’s a chair for you this time but you still ignore it, opting to stand in the back corner again. The next thing you know the team is heading out the door.   
“Be on the jet in 30.” Garcia says with a smile.   
“Thanks.” You mumble, slightly embarrassed.   
“It’s nothing.” You start to leave when she stops you, “hey, quick question.”  
“What’s up?”  
“Why don’t you sit at the table?”  
“I don’t really belong there. I’m not a profiler I’m the sniper. It’s my job to have their backs.”  
“But you are part of this team.” She smiles at you and you can’t help but smile back. You honestly feel a little bad for lying to her, it’s not that you don’t think you’re a part of the team, it’s that you can’t stand to have your back exposed like that. You’ve always got to be covering your own six, because nobody else is going to.   
After the team briefs on the plane Hotch tells everyone to get some sleep and one by one your teammates all drift off. You’re sitting on the floor in the corner with a book when you hear a soft snore from the couch to your left. Glancing over with a small smile you’re surprised to see that it’s not Morgan or Rossi like you had assumed but Kate. You give a breathy laugh then your eyes meet the eyes of the only other awake member of the team. Hotch.   
“Get some sleep.” He whispers loudly.   
“You too.” You respond and he nods. Closing your book you tilt you head back against the wall, pull your knees to your chest and fall into a content sleep.   
“No, no no no no no.” You groan trying to bind his wounds. There’s so much blood. Another blast goes off not far from you and you duck, shielding his body with yours.   
“Go Ray.” He mumbles.   
“I’m. Not. Leaving you.” You pant out, moving to your feet then pulling him up with you. “Come on fatass.” You tease taking most of his six foot four inch frame on your own five foot five one.   
“Ray I’m not gonna make it.” He groans as you stumble.   
“You are Steve. You are. Come on. We need to take cover.” You’re only fifty feet away when the next blast goes off to your right. Throwing you off of your feet you hit the ground with Steve on top of you. “Steve!” You scream as your eyes snap open.  
Hotch. Hotch? You look to your left and see that Kate has woken, glancing around you realize that everyone is staring at you.  
“Hey,” Hotch says softly “you’re safe.”  
“Right. Sorry.” You moan stretching out your legs. “Bad dream.” You say loudly. Reid and JJ have both stopped looking at you and Kate has her eyes closed again. Rossi and Morgan share a look but neither of them say anything. Hotch places a hand on your arm pulling your attention back to him.   
“You okay?”  
“Fine.” You say standing and moving toward the coffee machine. You’re done sleeping for the night apparently. Once you have one of those dreams it’s easy to slip back into them. Hotch looks like he wants to say more to you but as the coffee is brewing you duck into the small bathroom. You look at your reflection in the small mirror. Taking slow even breaths you put your hands on top of your head and try to focus on what you know.   
You’re in a plane. With your new coworkers. You’re safe. Turning on the water you let it run over your fingertips, just feeling the cool flow gets the memory of Steve’s blood off of them. It had been a while since you’d had that dream. The two of you had been partners, friends before turning into more, even if it was frowned upon to be sleeping with another solider there had just been something about Steve.


	7. Chapter 7

When you come out of the bathroom you’re pleased to see that Hotch has taken the hint and has sat back down and had his eyes shut. You grab your now finished coffee and mix in some creamer then you move to go sit back in your corner of the floor. As you’re passing Hotch his hand snakes out and captures your wrist stopping you in your tracks. He doesn’t open his eyes and he doesn’t say anything he just slides over to the other seat. The arm rest is up like he had planned this when you ducked into the bathroom. He gently pulls you down next to him and once you’re sitting his eyes open. He looks at you for a moment then plucks the coffee from your hands. You go to protest when he holds up a hand.   
“You want us to trust you. You need to trust us.” He angles himself sideways with his back against the side of the plane, one of his legs pressed against the seat backs and the other on the floor. He leans forward and loops his arms around your waist and slowly slides you back into him. Your back is stiff as a board when your butt bumps against him, your body between his legs. He leans forward and you feel his chest against your shoulders,   
“I’ve got your six Ray.” He whispers before loosening his arms and leaning back against the side of the plane again. It takes a few minutes but with your coffee out of reach you start to feel drowsy again and slowly start to ease back into him. His breathing is even when you finally rest all the way back against him. It’s oddly comforting having his heat against your back, you tilt your knees toward the seat backs and your eyes drift shut. Just as you’re about to fall asleep you feel Hotch’s arms tighten a little around your waist.   
When you wake four hours later you’ve turned almost completely sideways. Only your right side is pressed up against Hotch’s chest. The side of your head is tucked under his chin and his arms are still wrapped tightly around you. You hear one of the other team members say something and Hotch responds, his voice rumbling through you. He’s awake. How long has he been awake? He’s just been sitting there holding you this whole time? And you actually slept peacefully, no dreams, no nightmares. It’s rare that you get such amazing sleep after a nightmare, especially the one about Steve. You arch your back slowly and Hotch loosens his grip.   
“I didn’t wake you did I?” He asks softly.   
“No. I didn’t wake you either right?”  
“Right. We’re still an hour out. So if you need more sleep please feel free to take it.” You kind of like the way that his voice rumbles through you when you’re leaned up against him. You feel a set of eyes on you and slowly sit up, Hotch’s arms falling away as you do.   
“Coffee?” You ask him and he nods his head. You grab your now cold cup off of the small table and head over to the coffee machine. Instead of reheating it you scoop a few pieces of ice into the cup and make it into an iced coffee. When Hotch’s cup is done you bring them both over to the seats. He’s sitting normally again and you can’t help but be a tiny bit disappointed. You pass him his cup then fold your right leg under your body and sip from your ice cold cup. Rossi is the only other person awake. He glances from you to Hotch and back again, you raise an eyebrow at him, daring him to say anything. He doesn’t and turns back to his computer, you glance around at the rest of the team. JJ has her head on Reid’s shoulder and he’s got his head tilted back, his mouth slightly open, you’ve noticed she’s really the only one who Reid seems comfortable enough to touch. Kate is sprawled across the couch, one arm hanging off the side the other thrown across her eyes. Morgan has his feet up on the seat next to him, leaning back against the side of the plane like Hotch had been. His headphones on an iPhone in hand. You notice Hotch looking at you out of the corner of your eye. You ignore him and go grab your book from the floor, you go sit next to him again and open the book where you folded the page over.


	8. Chapter 8

Two hours later you’re standing in the back of a small conference room. Your back to the only solid wall in the room when the sheriff walks in with a man in his fifties, a round face and a scowl across it.   
“I called in our best sniper again.” The other man sneers at Hotch.   
“A militia man helping out the Feds again.” His voice laced with venom.   
“No need.” Morgan says coolly.   
“What you suddenly become and expert distance shooter?” He asks sounding skeptical.   
“No.” Rossi counters, “that would be her.” He nods in your direction and the two men look over at you. At 5'5", 130 lbs you’re not exactly intimidating.   
“Right.” The militia man scoffs.   
“Keiara Rayne, I go by Ray. Maybe you’ve heard of me.” You quip from against the wall.   
“No way you’re that Ray.”   
“Whys that?” You’ve got one foot propped against the wall and your arms folded. He can’t see your gun from that angle. It’s kind of legendary since it was the first of its kind.   
“Well first of all Ray is British.”  
“Dual citizen. Next.”   
“I heard that he was killed.” You suck in a breath. “My partner. Steve Harkness was the one who died. The Taliban, much like you, assumed a woman couldn’t be one of the top 5 snipers in the world.”   
“Did you just call me a terrorist?” He snarls hand resting on the butt of his rifle.   
“No. I equated your attitude to theirs.” Morgan has his hand at the ready, so do JJ and Kate. Before the man can respond Hotch cuts him off. “Play nice Ray.” He says looking at the board. You causally bend down and pick up your rifle and watch Mr. Militia’s eyes go wide. You tilt your head to the left a little bit and smirk. Walking toward the board with your rifle on your back you catch JJ’s eye and grin. She bites her lower lip and turns away to keep from laughing. When you meet Hotch’s eye he gives you an exasperated look. You turn your attention to the board even though you normally don’t have anything to contribute to this part of the work but when you glance up at the board with the four victims on it you’re stunned to find that this time, you do.   
“Max.” You say in shock. The team turns to look at you and JJ is the first to speak.   
“What?”  
“Max Zimmerman. He’s the UnSub.”   
“You can’t be sure-” Reid starts but you wave him off.   
“I’m sure.” You walk over to the board, “these are long distance kills. You can tell by the wound pattern. These two shots are his signature. Snipers don’t need the second shot because, unless we’re told otherwise, we always go for the kill. But Max was always different. He said that the second shot made it easier for him to keep track of his body count.”   
“What would have caused him to start killing like this?” Morgan asks.   
“I don’t know. Steve tried to keep him away from me because he had a history of sexual assault. Best guess, he’s either doing it for the money or to play God.”   
“You’re going to need to be ready at all times.” Rossi says looking at you.   
“I want you to carry your sniper rifle at all times. Always be looking for places you’d shoot from. When he knows we’re here we become targets.” Hotch says, you nod.   
“I want all of you away from the windows. And we’re going to need to stay on the highest floor of the tallest hotel you’ve got.” You say to the sheriff as the team moves away from the windows. He nods and then goes to head out of the room. “Thanks.” You say just before he calls another member of the police force over. You move to the window, rifle at the ready and scan the nearest buildings. There are a few spots that you use the scope to check but for now you’re all clear. “Hey Sheriff are these windows bullet proof?”   
“Should be.”   
“Until we can confirm it I’d like all of the blinds drawn and all of the windows without blinds covered.”   
“Yes ma'am.” The police force moves into action and when it’s just the team Hotch looks worriedly over at you.   
“What’s going to happen when he finds out you’re here?”   
“Hopefully it will be enough to get him to back down. He knows that I’m better than he is.”   
“That also makes you his first target.” You give a short nod this is true, but you’re less worried about yourself than you are about the team. “You don’t go anywhere alone.”   
“If I’m taken out there’s nothing anyone is going to be able to do. They’ll just be the next target.”   
“Humor me.” You sigh, turn and look at him and shake your head ‘no’. “Ray.” He says in a low growl.   
“I can’t Hotch.” You whisper, fighting to keep the tears at bay. “I have to know you all are safe.” You choke out before quickly leaving the room and ducking into the women’s bathroom. You lock yourself in a stall and press your hand to your chest, you feel your heart beating, your breath making your chest rise and fall. Both are moving too fast, you can’t get your breathing back under control, the world is spinning. You’re sucking air in quickly, in short gasps, you don’t know how long you’re locked away in the stall but it’s long enough for someone to come looking. The knock on the door is soft, you don’t respond and that’s when he calls through the door.


	9. Chapter 9

“Keiara?” Of course it would be Hotch. “I’m not leaving until you come talk to me.”  
“Hotch please.” You breathe out, not even sure if he hears you.   
“Please open the door.” His voice is soft and pleading but you can’t seem to move. You’re pressed back in the corner by the wall and the toilet, tears streaming down your face.   
“Keiara? I need you to tell me you’re okay.” You hear him slide something into the notch on the back of the lock. Then you see him looking in at you, concern written all over his face. “Hey,” he says softly like you’re a scared animal that he’s cornered. He goes to take a step into the stall and you let out a sob. He freezes not wanting to freak you out, his eyes searching your face.   
“He-he-help me. Please.” Your voice breaks and you’re shaking.   
“How?” You reach for him and he pulls you to him. Wrapping you in his arms he massages the base of your neck with his pointer finger and thumb of his right hand. Your shaking doesn’t subside for a few more minutes. He just stands there, his fingers making little circles against your skin.   
“I loved him and I couldn’t keep him safe. What if I can’t keep this team safe? I couldn’t even protect the man I loved.” You whisper. The shooter had thought that the ‘Ray’ that had the hit on them was Steve. In a patriarchal society you weren’t often looked at twice, but Steve was the one that they had taken out. If they had known you wouldn’t be shaking in Aaron Hotchner’s arms in a ladies bathroom.   
“A serial killer murdered my wife and tried to kill me and my son. I killed him protecting my son.” He says softly, you didn’t even know he had a son. “If I didn’t think you could do this I’d call Cruz and have him send me a different sniper. But you don’t become number three best sniper in the British army by being a shit shot.” He uses your words against you and even though it should annoy the hell out of you it actually helps. You’ve finally got your breathing back under control and you check your Fitbit for you heart rate and see that it too is back to your normal range. You step away from him, wipe your eyes and take a deep breath.   
“Can you tell I’ve been crying?”  
“A little. Give it a minute.” He says sliding his hands into his pockets. You glance in the mirror and see that he’s right, your eyes are rimmed red. You turn on the cool water, thankful that you don’t typically choose to wear make up, and you scoop some onto your face. Hotch passes you a paper towel and you take it from him with a grateful smile. “Ready?” He asks gently.   
“As I’m going to be.” You square your shoulders and follow him out of the bathroom. When you walk back into the conference room you’re not surprised to see the concern written on every face. JJ looks like she wants to say something but doesn’t know how to breach the subject. Reid seems unsure if he’s supposed to act like he didn’t notice your breakdown or if he should tread lightly. Before anyone can say anything you begin.   
“I guess I should come clean.” You say, “clearly in the last few hours you all have noticed some strange behavior from me. I suffer from very mild PTSD from my time in the military.” You take a shaky breath and close your eyes as Hotch moves closer to your back. How is it that he always seems to know exactly what to do? “I have nightmares and panic attacks but 90% of the time I’m completely fine. They tend to happen rapidly one after another then I’m fine for a while. If I have a panic attack the best thing you can do is hug me or put a hand on each arm until I stop shaking. Sometimes it helps if you talk to me. Please don’t tell me to ‘breathe’ because it stresses me out.” You open your eyes to find understanding in the eyes of each team member. That’s when you realize, this is the perfect place for you. These people have seen things that are as crazy and fucked up as some of the things that you’ve seen. They actually understand the horrible nightmares because they have them too. “Alright,” you take a deep breath, “let’s get this ass hole.”  
“Do you have any idea where he might go?”  
“He’s gonna stay as high up as he can for as long as he can. Snipers like high ground.” You say as the team exits the police station.   
“The last location was about two blocks from here. Morgan why don’t you take Ray and head over there. See if you can find anything.” Hotch says as he goes around one of the black trucks.   
“Come on Ray.” Morgan says with a nod and you follow him to a second black truck.   
“Be safe. Check your surroundings before you get too far into them. He’s going to like high, tight spaces.” You say climbing in next to Morgan. You’ve got your rifle laying across your lap, right hand resting near the trigger incase you need to pick it up and fire.   
“Please tell me that the safety is on that.” Morgan says nodding at the rifle.   
“You’re good.” You say with a soft laugh and he grins.  
“I’m glad that you felt comfortable enough to talk to us all about your PTSD.”  
“It wouldn’t have been fair for me to expect you all to trust me when you don’t know if I’m stable or not.”   
“I get them too.” He says quietly, “those nightmares that wake you in a panic.” You nod, understanding completely. The two of you ride the rest of the way in silence.   
“So the report says that he shot from that direction.”   
“Why would he shoot from there?” You muse.   
“What’s that?”  
“I wouldn’t shoot from that direction unless I had to. That,” you point across the street at a slightly lower building, “has a much better angle of this space.”  
“Okay so why would you shoot from over there?” Morgan asks lining himself up behind you.   
“Better vantage point, you can more easily gage any wind coming in with the flag here and you’ve got more coverage.” You pause and lift your scope to your eye, “I need to get up there.”


	10. Chapter 10

You and Morgan check out both locations, the one Max took the shot from and the one you would have. You’re standing on the second roof, the one you would have used, when Morgan gets a call.   
“Yea. Okay. We’ll be there in ten.”  
“What’s up?”  
“Another victim. Hotch wants us there, he didn’t kill this time, just wounded.”  
“Why?”  
“He’s got the team pinned down. Hotch thinks that he’s waiting for you.”  
“Me specifically or the team’s sniper?”  
“Well he hasn’t mentioned you by name but we’re not sure.”  
“You’re staying here.” You say yanking the keys out of Morgan’s hand.   
“I’m not going to let you go in alone.” You climb into the drivers seat of the car and shut the door. Locking the truck you roll down the window.  
“You don’t have much of a choice. I need to know that you’re not in the crosshairs Morgan.” His brown eyes meet your blue ones and he nods. You plug in your headphones and call Hotch as you drive.   
“I need your address and where he’s perched.”  
“We’re at the police station.”   
“Which side of the building is he on?”   
“West.” Someone says something to him that you can’t hear, “sorry north west.”   
“I’m three minutes out.”  
“And Morgan?”  
“I asked him to stay behind.” You’re two blocks away when you pull the truck over and slip through the back alleys. You find a fire escape and after swinging your rifle onto your back you climb it. “Alright I’m south east of the police station.” Thank god it’s a low building. “Are you communicating with him?”  
“No.”  
“Alright then.” You get into position and then yell across the courtyard. “Max!” You pause and wait for his response. Looking through your scope you find him searching the ground for where the noise came from.   
“Max! I can see you.” You yell and he swings his rifle toward you. “I also know you can’t make that shot.” You had a better view of the flag and had positioned yourself accordingly.   
“Ray?” He yells back.   
“Yea Max. Why don’t you put the gun down and we can talk this out.”  
“Careful Ray.” Hotch says in your ear, you almost forgo he could hear you. “Play up how good he is. How impressed you are.”  
“Copy.” You say to Hotch then call out again. “I was at your last crime scene. You took the harder shot, but I need to know. Why take the harder shot?”  
“Because I’m better than you Ray.” He yells.   
“Hotch?” You ask.   
“Admit it.” He responds you sigh heavily.   
“You must be.” You call back, not exactly admitting he’s better but not telling him he’s not.  
“Do you have a shot?” Hotch asks.   
“Yes.” You breathe.  
“Kill?”  
“Yes.”   
“Wound?”  
“I can disable him. If I hit him in the shoulder he won’t be able to adjust to shoot.”   
“Do it.”   
“Come on Max! Let’s end this peacefully!” You yell hoping for another end to this. He may have been a creep but you knew Max.   
“You and I both know that’s not how this ends.” He yells back. “Take your shot Ray! Make it count.”   
“Hotch?”   
“Do not kill.” You line up the shot and take it. Hitting him in the top of the shoulder and throwing him off balance. He can’t adjust like you can.  
“My turn! Say goodbye to whomever you’re on the phone with.” He yells and you watch in horror as he points the rifle down into the building. Hotch. You don’t let him take the shot, he’s dead before he can finish adjusting.  
“I’m sorry Hotch.”   
“He didn’t leave you a choice.” You stand and make your way off the roof. “Ray?” He asks.   
“I’m here. I’m going to go over there, I want to make sure he’s gone and I want to see if he had thermal or was just committing suicide by cop.”


	11. Chapter 11

He did have thermal. You didn’t feel quite so bad for killing him now that you knew for sure that he would have killed Hotch. A few minutes later you hear the scrape of a shoe on the fire escape below you and turn weapon at the ready. You lower the weapon when you see that it’s Hotch, Morgan following closely on his heels. Hotch looks like he wants to ask how you’re doing but you just shake your head and he understands.   
“Two shots?” Morgan asks, “I thought you said snipers always go for the kill.”  
“Unless we’re told otherwise. He had thermal so he could see into the building so even though it was supposed to be wound only I had to take him out.” He nods then they remove the body and you turn away, wrapping your arms around yourself and look down into the courtyard. You were actually a little angry that you had to kill him. Now you’d never know why he had been doing it, never know what caused him to become a murderer. You shake your head and turn back around. Hotch is watching you, a concerned look on his face but you just take a deep breath and grab your rifle from the rooftop where you had leaned it against the raised sides.   
It’s a quiet plane ride. Morgan calls Garcia then goes to sleep, JJ and Kate both call their families while Reid and Rossi claim sleeping spots. You want to get your paperwork done asap so that you don’t have to worry about it when you get home. You finish it quickly, you and Hotch again are the only two awake, he too is working on paperwork. He’s sitting in the same seat he had been when you flew out. You stand and head to the small bar on the plane to get a water, you glance over at Hotch and hold it up. He nods and you grab him one too then head over to sit by him. You pass him a water then take a swig from yours.   
“I’m sorry you had to kill someone you knew.” He says quietly, taking you by surprise.   
“The choice was him or you. I’m always going to choose you.” You say honestly, “I mean anyone from the team.” You cover when you realize the enormity of what you had said. It’s not that the whole statement isn’t true, you would absolutely take that shot for any member of this team. But he is already working his way into that piece of your heart that you had thought would be empty forever after you lost Steve. He gives you a look that seems to call your cover and you look away quickly to keep him from seeing you blush. You feel his hand rest on your leg and you weave your fingers through his. He gives your hand a gentle squeeze and you turn to look at him. He has a small smile on his face and you can’t help but return it. He closes the folder of paperwork and turns sideways again. This time he doesn’t need to pull you into him, you settle back into him. You’re comfortable being pressed up against him, he’s solid against your back and when his arms wrap around you curl your legs up and sigh softly. He rests his chin on your head and you feel him settle back in the corner of the seat and plane.  
You don’t wake up until the plane jolts onto the ground. The first thing you see is Morgan grinning at you like the Cheshire Cat and you instantly become suspicious.   
“What did you do?” You ask your voice low and threatening.   
“Nothing.” He responds coolly and you don’t believe him for a second.   
“Derek Morgan.” You say crawling out of Hotch’s lap, “What. Did. You. Do?” You enunciate every word with a step toward him. He’s backing up toward the bathroom and the rest of the team is watching in mild amusement.   
“I just sent a picture of you guys to Garcia. She didn’t believe me.” He says bumping the wall with his hands up and a smile on his face. It shouldn’t make you as mad as it does. But in sleep you’re vulnerable and you don’t typically feel safe enough to get deep sleep.   
“Not. Cool.” You force out from behind gritted teeth. His expression changes immediately when he sees the hurt and anger in your eyes. You turn away from him, grab your go bag from the floor and exit the plane before anyone has a chance to say anything to you. You’re not running, exactly, but you are moving at a steady clip. You hear Morgan calling after you but as angry tears fill your eyes you ignore him. So much for trust. A hand wraps around your bicep and before you register who it is you’ve already twisted out of their grasp and pinned their arm behind their back. Once it registers that it’s Morgan and you’re not actually in danger you let go of his arm.   
“Hey I didn’t mean to upset you.” He says turning to face you.   
“I know.” You huff out.   
“Talk to me. Tell me why you’re so upset.” He pauses taking your hand, “I want to understand.” You close your eyes and nod taking a deep breath you say,  
“Ever since I left the service I don’t sleep much. I live alone and every bump from the neighbors, every car horn, revving engine, squealing tire and siren wakes me. There’s no one there to have my back and my fight or flight instincts are all out of whack. So when I can get good, deep sleep, the kind that when you wake up you actually feel good, I take that opportunity. Sleeping like that with Hotch literally having my back was some of the best sleep I’ve had in almost 4 months.” You open your eyes and see he feels terrible. “Knowing that I can trust you guys, I can be vulnerable and get the sleep I need.”   
“Ray I’m so sorry.” You squeeze his hand and smile.   
“How were you supposed to know?” You ask softly. He sighs and rubs the back of his head with his free hand. You let go of his other one and he picks up his go bag again. He gives you a small smile then starts up for his car again before turning back to you.   
“Hey Ray?”  
“Hmm?”  
“I know a few people you can call when you need someone to stay with. Starting with Hotch, if he doesn’t answer that next call better be to me.” You give him a closed lip smile and nod.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> smut

The rest of the team files past you with murmurs of goodnight and see you tomorrow’s. The only one that doesn’t is Hotch.   
“Hey.” He says softly walking beside you. “You okay?” You nod and he continues. “I heard what you said to Morgan. He’s right, if you ever need someone to come over or to go somewhere to feel safe please don’t hesitate to call me.”  
“Thanks.” He goes to pass you when you stop him with gentle hand on his arm. “Seriously Hotch, thank you.” You say quietly. You press your lips to his cheek then move away. He stops you this time, with a hand wrapped around your wrist. He gently turns you back around to him then collides his mouth into yours. You’re surprised at first, this seems like very sudden turn of events but in a heartbeat you return the kiss. He’s taller than you expected him to be, he’s pulled your body flush against his and you’re arched against him. You’re not sure whose heart you can feel pounding against your chest, yours or his. He pulls away from you and whispers,  
“Come to my house.” His breath slides across your cheek.   
“Okay.” You whisper back, your eyes still closed and he kisses you again. Softer this time, sweetly, like he’s got all the time in the world.  
The twenty minute drive back to his apartment is passed in comfortable conversation. He tells you more about his son, Jack. You look forward to meeting the little boy but you have to admit that you’re grateful that it won’t be tonight. Hotch hasn’t let go of your hand since you got in the car. You’re using your right pointer finger to trace the curves of his hand, drawing lines across the back and up each finger. He’s got nice hands, strong and gentle when they’re holding you but the scars tell that they’re capable and have defended him more than once. They’re the hands of a defender, a protector but gentle enough to be the hands of a father.   
“Ray?”  
“Hmm?”  
“Where here.” You were so caught up in what you were doing that you hadn’t noticed the car stop. He chuckles at the surprise on your face, you release his hand to climb out of the truck. He meets you behind it and offers you his hand again. What an odd pair you must be. Him in a suit with his briefcase in one hand and you in jeans and a long sleeve with a sniper rifle slung over your shoulder like its and extension of your body. Then again with the amount of time that you’ve spent with this rifle it practically is part of you. You follow Hotch to his apartment and he unlocks the door then ushers you inside. He slips the rifle from your shoulder, you don’t protest as he sets it gently on the top of the fridge. He turns back toward you and you take his face in your hands guiding his lips to yours. You meant to just kiss him gently but it seems he has a different idea. He catches your bottom lip in his teeth and as he releases it his tongue sweeps into your mouth. You groan into his mouth and he pins you against the wall. His lips burn a trail down your neck and he nips at your collarbone causing you to gasp. You scrape your fingernails along the back of his scalp making him groan, the sound vibrating against your skin. He brings his lips back to yours as one of his hands slips under the back of your shirt. His hand is warm on your skin and you slide your tongue into his mouth, his hand moves further up your back and you get to work loosening his tie. This wasn’t what you had in mind when you agreed to come over but you weren’t going to stop him. You knew if you asked him to there’d be no questions asked other than if you were okay and right now you were more than okay. Once his tie is off you start pulling at the buttons. He unhooks your bra and slides his hand to your breast. His palm is rough against the sensitive skin.   
“Oh god.” You moan, your fingers fumbling with the buttons of his shirt. He kisses your jaw, just under your ear, you hear his breath hitch as you grind against him. You finally drag his button down off of his shoulders. He pulls away from you to peel off his undershirt and you take the opportunity to yank off your own shirt and bra. He crushes you to him, his lips devouring yours, he slides his hands under your butt and scoops you up. You wrap your legs around his waist and your arms around his neck, your back is still pressed to the wall, it’s cool on your back. Hotch pulls his lips from yours and pulls one of your nipples into his mouth.   
“Fuck Hotch.” You groan and he laughs rubbing his tongue across the sensitive flesh. He pulls away from the wall and carries you down a hallway then lowers the two of you onto his bed, his body covering yours. You reach for his pants and you both laugh as your hands collide with his.   
“Get your pants off.” He says roughly.  
“Bossy are we?” You tease undoing the button of your pants as he rears up to slide his pants and boxers down. You lift your butt off of the bed and he helps you slide the jeans all the way off.   
“Damn.” He mutters, “you’re-” you cut him off by pulling his mouth back to yours. You feel his hands go to either side of your underwear and slide them down and off your legs. His hand goes to your center and when he brushes against you your hips buck involuntarily. He chuckles into your mouth and you pull your lips from his and trail down his jaw to where his neck meets his shoulder, he slips a finger into you and you moan against his skin. You bite down gently then he replaces his finger with the part you’ve been wanting. He fits perfectly, he moves slowly until with a growl you snap your hips up to meet his.   
“Fuck.” He groans sucking in a deep breath of air. The two of you move with one another in perfect sync until you still and cry his name. He doesn’t last much longer, growling your name into your neck as he finishes.   
“Holy shit.” You whisper a few minutes later, after you’ve caught your breath. You feel Hotch nod against your shoulder then he rolls off of you. The two of you lay there for a while then Hotch kisses your shoulder.   
“Feel free to use the shower.” He mutters and you nod. You should take a quick shower.   
“Are you gonna join me?” He grins at you as you stand up and make your way over to the bathroom. Shooting him a flirty look you head for the shower.


	13. Chapter 13

Neither you or Hotch say anything to the team about your change of relationship but since they’re all profilers you know that they’ve picked up on it. You’ve been spending more and more time at his place with him and Jack and it’s starting to feel more like home than your own apartment. It’s after a particularly rough case, and after Jack is in bed that Hotch sits down on the couch next to you. The team had been shaken, the UnSub had been a teenager and sadly decided to take his life in front of everyone. You saw it through your scope so you hadn’t been quite as shaken. It was still devastating but Hotch and Reid were taking it the hardest. So much so that you and Hotch had actually shown affection beyond your professional relationship when you had come down from your perch. You’d heard every word and knew that he did everything he could. When he saw you the look on his face, even if it was only there for a split second, had prompted you to pull him into your arms. He had wrapped his arms tightly around your waist and dropped his head to your shoulder. Neither of you saying anything but you gently stroked back of his head with your fingertips.   
Hotch surprises you now by laying down with his head in your lap. You know he sees Jack every time he sees a young boy and you can’t even begin to understand how difficult that must be for him. He sighs as you again run your fingers through his dark hair.   
“Hotch-”  
“No.” He mutters into your lap.   
“You did everything you could.” You say softly ignoring his protest. “I heard everything. He was sick before anything ever happened.”   
“I could have had you shoot him in the arm. So he couldn’t hurt himself.”  
“Aaron.” You say using his first name, which is something you rarely do. He turns and looks up at you.   
“I love how you say my name.” He says with a small smile.   
“Do I say it weird?”  
“I think it’s just your sort of accent.”  
“My sort of accent?” You knit your eyebrows together. You didn’t know you had a sort of accent. He reaches up a hand and smooths out the crease between your brow then cups your face.   
“Yea, it’s like you’re halfway between an east coast accent and a British one. You’re more British when you’re having strong emotions. Angry, frustrated, horny, scared, excited.”  
“Don’t think I didn’t notice that you slipped horny in there.” You tease lightly.   
“It’s true. That’s one of the ways I know you want me.”  
“I always want you.” He sits up then and kisses you roughly. Pressing his mouth against yours desperately, like you’re what he needs to survive. You trail kisses along his jaw and he groans when you graze your teeth on his earlobe. He slides an hand along the small of your back, pressing down on that spot that he knows you like. You sigh and kiss his lips again. He pulls away from you and looks you directly in the eye and says,  
“Move in with us.” You can’t help but smile and nod.   
“I’d like that. Jack is okay with it?”   
“Yea. He wanted to know why you didn’t already.” You laugh softly, leave it to Jack to say what his father is thinking. You turn so that your front is facing his back and start to work the muscles of his shoulders. He carries so much stress and worry there, he lets out a soft moan as you hit a knot. You slowly add pressure and work it, you stretch your feet out on either side of him and he scoops a foot into his hands.   
“No.” You whisper sliding your foot out of his grasp. “Just let me treat you for once.” He nods and you feel his body droop in relaxation. You feel him hum, causing vibrations against your fingertips as you work his muscles. He slowly nods off, like you were hoping he would. It’s cases like these where he needs you to have his back more than you need him to have yours. You ease him back so his back is against your chest, you resting against the couch back and arm. Resting your hands in his chest you fall into a content sleep, you could live this way forever.


End file.
